Buehrle's Charm Just What Game Needs

CHICAGO -- In a sport that seems to disappoint us more than delight us, meet Mark Buehrle, a throwback antidote to all things selfish, egomaniacal and scandalous in baseball. Remember when pitcher Johan Santana signed for $137.5 million over six years? In the same timeframe, Buehrle re-upped with the White Sox for $56 million over four because he was comfortable in Chicago. Notice how players move to warm, luxurious zip codes when they become multimillionaires? Buehrle still lives in his hometown of St. Charles, Mo., with a wife who went to high school with him.

And know what impressed him most after he threw the 18th perfect game in major-league history, joining Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Jim Bunning, Cy Young and Addie Joss as the only men ever to record a perfect game and no-hitter? Was it the immediate cell-phone call from a White Sox fan in the presidential limousine, the massive national media coverage, the shaving-cream-lathered love-in with his teammates at U.S. Cellular Field?

Nope. Our folksy, downhome superhero couldn't believe that Mark Drury actually texted him. I know ... who's Mark Drury?

"From the Drury Brothers," said Buehrle, referring to a Missouri man who produces hunting videos. "He said he was in a cornfield in Iowa doing some food plots and said he had it on in the radio on the tractor, and I told him, 'I wish I could have been there with him to be putting some food plots in.' I think that was the coolest message I got."

Anyone who knows Buehrle isn't surprised by this. One reason he hasn't been a household name among American baseball fans is that he's much like the fans themselves, blending into the scenery with an unassuming charm even while ruling as one of the game's better pitchers this decade. I mean, what's not to like about him? If you're leery of overpowering, Clemens-like pitchers who might be using steroids, Buehrle changes speeds with steady precision, mixing in changeups and curveballs with a fastball that only once exceeded 90 mph in his Thursday afternoon perfecto against Tampa Bay. As Minnesota reliever Joe Nathan cracked when President Obama threw his 59-foot toss before the All-Star Game, "He throws harder than Buehrle.'' And if you're tired of games that drag on endlessly, Buehrle always has worked with speedy efficiency, completing the perfect game in two hours and three minutes. He spent only 32 actual minutes on the mound.

"When you face him, you have to be ready to hit because he's going to throw strikes," teammate Jim Thome said. "He's gonna work quick. There's not a whole lot of time to think. Next thing you know, you're in the seventh inning, going 'Where did this day go?' ''

He's remarkably durable, avoiding major injuries and disabled-list stints and making 285 starts the last nine seasons. When batters do reach base, he'll purge them with a pickoff move or induce a double play, as he did a major-league-high 34 times last season. Best of all, he has a rare magnetism that is impossible for anyone to dislike. The White Sox are a tightly-wound organization, with the maniacal Ozzie Guillen in the dugout, temperamental Ken Williams running the baseball show and tyrannical Jerry Reinsdorf on high as the chairman. Buehrle cuts through the drama with a gentle Missouri drawl and a fun-loving disposition, including belly flops and slides during rain delays that were stopped by bosses worried about an injury. He has a perfect game, a no-hitter and a World Series ring, and, yet, he still acts like a 38th-round draft pick who never expected to get out of the minor leagues.

"Never thought I'd throw a no-hitter. Never thought I'd throw a perfect game. Never thought I'd hit a home run," said Buehrle, who ripped a shot off Milwaukee's Braden Looper in June interleague play.

"Never say never in this game because crazy stuff can happen."

During the perfecto, he showed no signs of tension. If anything, he was the coolest cat in the house, sharing humor with another free spirit, catcher A.J. Pierzynski. At one point, Pierzynski noted Buehrle's recent trend of not completing games. "I said, 'Go out and throw a no-hitter,' and he said, 'I already got one of those,' " Pierzynski said. "I said, '(Bleep), go out and throw a perfect game.'"

Pierzynski would playfully whip throws past Buehrle between innings. Buehrle would, in turn, bounce pitches. "With Mark it's about having fun, and that works the best for him," Pierzynski said. "He shows up every day, does what he needs to do. He's always in a good mood. He's always having fun. That's all you can ask for."

The fun quotient is what makes Buehrle a hugely popular figure among teammates and fans. When team management foolishly considered not meeting his ridiculously low asking price two years ago, the fans hung banners criticizing the big bosses and supporting their Hurly Buehrle Man. The deal might be one of the biggest bargains in baseball history, and his appeal only has increased because money wasn't his first priority.

"You ask all his teammates, and there wouldn't be a better guy for it to happen," Guillen said. "He's so humble. He's excited and should feel proud. After the game on the airplane, he seemed like nothing happened, like we just won another game. I don't think he found out yet what he did."

"This couldn't have happened to a better guy,'' Williams said.

"A tremendous, tremendous guy,'' Thome said. "Genuine. As good as any teammate I've ever played with, no question. He gets it. I think that comes from his family. He grew up in the Midwest.''

It made perfect sense for Obama, the passionate Sox fan, to latch onto Buehrle mania. Appearing at a fundraiser in downtown Chicago only hours after the perfecto, he won me a bet by mentioning the gem less than 30 seconds into his speech. I had the under at one minute. "One of the benefits of being president is that you can call a pitcher after he pitches a perfect game,'' he said to laughter. Just as predictably, he mentioned the stunning, acrobatic catch by centerfielder DeWayne Wise that saved history in the ninth inning, making it one of baseball's greatest defensive plays ever when placed in the context of a powerful singular moment.

"Even when you're pitching a perfect game, you still need help,'' Obama said. "That's not how Washington has been doing things."

They've become a friendly odd couple in recent weeks, with Buehrle handing Obama the Sox jacket he wore at the All-Star Game. "He's almost like a buddy,'' Buehrle said. "He said he was taking a little bit of credit because he wore the White Sox jacket at the All-Star Game, and I told him how surprised I was that he actually did it. He said, 'Congratulations, it's an honor and a lot of people are going to remember this forever.' ''

Of course, Buehrle couldn't resist having fun during the presidential phone call. "We joked around, a 30-second phone call, and I'm like 'What? That's all he's got for me?' '' he said.

As a president who spends maybe a bit too much time following sports, Obama surely wouid rally support for Buehrle as a potential Hall of Famer. At present, his numbers -- 133-90, 3.76 ERA, no 20-win seasons -- don't suggest a Cooperstown pace. But because of his durability and efficiency, it's possible he'll pitch into his 40s. If he can win 225-250 games, he'll be a candidate because he pitched in the American League in the Steroids Era, won a World Series and covered himself in glory on two amazing occasions.

"I don't think the Hall of Fame is going to wait for 300 wins or 3,000 hits anymore," Guillen said. "They are going to need people to put there every year. You will see people (get) in with 200 wins, 220 or 250. There's no doubt. You have to. I don't think any pitcher is going to last long enough to win 300 games."

Naturally, Buehrle thinks the concept is absurd. "I think I've got to do a lot more in this game to be thought of in that category," he said. "Obviously, it's an honor for people to even mention that. I got (133) wins now. I need a lot more wins and a lot more stuff in this game to be mentioned there."

Whatever, it's heady territory for a good old boy from Missouri who grew up a Cardinals fan and, occasionally, drops hints that he might want to play in St. Louis someday. Monday, he's scheduled to read the "Top 10'' list on the "Late Show With David Letterman.'' Not only is it his first exposure in the major mainstream media, it's the perfect outlet for his own comedy to shine through. With the lights blasting stronger than ever on his career, he's trying his best not to "get too high or too low.''

"But it's kind of hard,'' he said, "when this much good stuff's happening.''

Just keep it coming. Baseball needs it. And him.